Consumption of terrestrial invertebrates by limnephilid caddisflies (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) indicate an overlooked link in stream-riparian food webs

Stream and riparian food webs are linked by cross-boundary resource fluxes, including the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates by fish and the consumption of aquatic insects by riparian spiders. Here, I report observations of scavenging of terrestrial invertebrates by stream-living insects (larvae of the limnephilid caddisfly Melampophylax melampus), which indicate a previously unknown stream-riparian trophic linkage. Based on visual-survey and pitfall-trap data, I also suggest that, in small streams, inputs of terrestrial invertebrates can help omnivorous aquatic insects bridge shortages of other resources (e.g., leaf detritus) and mitigate population bottlenecks.